What’s That Sound? Cicadas in the Air

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If you just moved to Florida or have been here for years I guarantee that you have heard a loud buzzing sounds echoing around trees. This noise sounds like a power drill running and can go on for minutes at a time. It may be annoying, but it will stop. These noises are coming from an interesting musician known as a cicada and they are usually heard in the daytime and will soon quiet down when night falls.

If you haven’t heard their buzzing musical then you may have seen part of their existence without actually seeing the living insect. If you have even ran into a dark yellow or brown exoskeleton hanging on a tree. This exoskeleton is the dried skin left from a juvenile cicada finally emerging after, many years underground.

What do Cicadas look like?

There are roughly 19 different species of cicadas in Florida. They are oval shaped and have wings that extend past their abdomen. Their sizes can vary from 1/4 inch to almost 3 inches; size is the length of their wings. Cicadas have a wide head with two large eyes on the outer edges and similar sized thorax; midsection of the insect. The back end of the cicada called the thorax gets smaller further down the body. The color of this bug depends on the species and size. Typically, the larger the cicada the darker the color; generally speaking.

Are they dangerous?

Although they may look intimidating cicadas are harmless to both humans and the environment. They do not sting or bite so if they encounter humans or animals don’t fret- they’ll leave soon. They also do little damage to the environment and one of the only instances of them being a nuisance is when they destroyed asparagus ferns grown by florists in the past. There have been no recent problems with Cicadas being a nuisance.

Here are Some Interesting Facts about Cicadas that you may not know:

Cicada Shell After molting

Females are mute

Some species stay underground for over 10 years before emerging

Timbals; drum-like structures on body, produce their calls

Hardly ever seen or captured

They are prey to insets, birds, animals and in some cases….people

Can I rid them off my property?

There is no need to try and rid these insects off your property. Like mentioned above, they are harmless but can be annoying. Because they don’s cause any damage there is no definitive way to remove them from your property. Cicadas are active different times of the year and this also means they may migrate to different area frequently. We recommend sitting tight and waiting them out.

If you are hearing Cicadas and are seeing damage to your lawn or home please notify your local pest control expert. There may be another insect involved and should be treated immediately to stop any further damage from your home.